The invention most closely corresponds with USPTO Class 358, wherein the invention involves the communication or reproduction of a static image or sequence of static images in which the density variations composing the image do not vary with time (e.g., a document image) by a method or apparatus.
In its simplest form, the invention comprises an improved document scanner wherein both a paper document can be automatically scanned and a credit card or identification type card may be scanned utilizing the same hardware.
With current traditional document scanners, some offer only the option of scanning paper documents. Conversely, there are card reader type scanners, however the emphasis on this art resides wherein business cards are scanned into some form of a user's database to create a contact record from the card. At present, there are no single scanners which scan documents, credit cards, and business cards automatically, e.g. wherein the scan is initiated by the insertion of media alone, and wherein an application is launched on the user's computer as a result of the automatic scan. Specific to the present invention, the card types are not limited to credit cards, but encompass business card type forms as well.